Jones, Gareth A. 
ORCID: 0000-0001-9844-4547 and Rodgers, Dennis
(2023)
Beyond the city limits: comparison, global urbanism, and the Chicago School of Sociology.
In: Le Galès, Patrick and Robinson, Jennifer, (eds.)
The Routledge Handbook of Comparative Global Urban Studies.
Routledge International Handbooks.
Routledge, Abingdon, UK, 33 - 47.
ISBN 9780367254667
Abstract
The so-called “Chicago School of Sociology” (CSS) was the dominant current of sociological thought during the first half of the 20th century, particularly associated with its then cutting-edge studies of urban life. Today, however, it is frequently held up as an example of unreflexive, Northern-centric thinking, that put forward universalist claims and theories about cities on the basis of parochial empirical experiences that focused on Chicago. The claims regarding the CSS's parochiality are linked to its intimate association with the notion of “the city as a social laboratory”, and Chicago more specifically. The cosmopolitanism and diversity of the CSS clearly informed their theorisation and ways of seeing the world. The CSS’ comparativism extended beyond looking at different geographical contexts and included an explicit concern with generating a range of concepts and ideas that they sought to experiment within different contexts in different ways.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-o... |
| Additional Information: | © 2024 selection and editorial matter, the editors; individual chapters, the contributors |
| Divisions: | Geography & Environment |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races |
| Date Deposited: | 28 May 2024 10:45 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Jul 2024 05:18 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/123668 |
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